MWP Preview: CBU Men's Water Polo Opens up 2026 Campaign at the Bruno Classic

Friday, August 28

Providence, RI

9:30 AM PT

California Baptist University

Wagner College

Photo by: Ryley Collom

MWP Preview: CBU Men's Water Polo Opens up 2026 Campaign at the Bruno Classic

8/26/2026 1:05:00 PM | Men's Water Polo

By: Ryley Collom, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications & Digital Media

RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist University men's water polo team will open the 2026 season this weekend as they head to the East Coast to compete in the Bruno Classic on Friday and Saturday.

The Lancers will compete in four matches over the weekend in both Providence, Rhode Island, and Cambridge, Massachusetts. CBU heads into the weekend ranked #13 in the nation in the preseason CWPA Poll and was picked third in the Big West preseason coaches' poll.

The opening matchup of the weekend will be against the Wagner Seahawks in Providence, Rhode Island. The Seahawks received votes in the national poll after finishing last season with 12 wins and reaching the MAWPC Semifinals. The Lancers are 6-1 against Wagner all-time, with every matchup coming at a neutral venue. The second matchup in Providence will be against the host Brown in the evening session. Brown comes in ranked #20 in the national rankings after finishing 2025 with a 20-10 record. The Lancers and Bears will be competing in their 26th overall match, with CBU holding a 14-11 edge.

On Saturday, the Lancers will head to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to take on Harvard and MIT. The first matchup will be against the tournament host, Harvard, in the morning session. The Crimson are coming off a 20-win season and were picked 17th in the national ranking coming into 2026. The Lancers are 9-7 all-time against Harvard and have won each of the last two matchups, including an 18-13 win over the Crimson at Princeton last season, their largest margin of victory over them since 2009. The final matchup of the Bruno Classic will be against MIT in the afternoon session on Saturday. It will be the first matchup against MIT since 2022, when they faced the Engineers at the same Bruno Classic and came away with a 19-8 victory. CBU is 6-1 in the series against MIT, with its only loss coming in 2003.

CBU will enter the weekend led by its star southpaw attacker Andrea Nuzzo, who was picked to the Big West Preseason Coaches' Team and is coming off an All-American Sophomore season. The Genoa, Italy native led the Lancers last season with 92 goals and 48 assists, while also being tied for the team lead in steals with 18. Nuzzo was an all-conference first-team member last season in the WCC and was a Third-Team All-American as a true sophomore for the Lancers.